Film holding device



July 1 8, 1939.

c. s. BASSlN FILM HOLDING DEVICE Filed April 22, 1938 Patented July 18,1939 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FILM HOLDING DEVICE Charles S.Bassin, Newton, Mass., assignor to New England Theatres, Inc., Boston,Mass, a corporation of Delaware Application April 22, 1938, Serial No.203,710 13 Claims. 01. 95 100) This invention pertains to photographyand support substantially like that of Fig. 1, but arrelates moreespecially to a support for holding ranged for use with a shorter film,certain of the roll film strips in unrolled stretched condition partsbeing broken away and the support being during certain stages of thedeveloping process, shown in its normal position, that is to say, un-

for example, while drying the film after washtensioned by a film;

ing. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing In order to preventrolling or curling of the the support arranged for use with a stillshorter film and to hold it as nearly fiat as possible, film; thereby toinsure uniformity of treatment, it is Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section,to large scale,

v requisite to place the film under considerable illustrating one way ofuniting sections of the longitudinal tension, but to support it by itsends strut or spring portion of the support; and alone so that atintermediate points it will be Figs. 5 to 10 inclusive are detail viewsillusfree from contact with any part of the supporttrating the severalelements comprising the suping structure. When, heretofore, attemptshave port shown in Fig. 1.

been made to provide the requisite longitudinal Referring to thedrawing, the numeral l des- 15 tension, the resultant support hasusually been ignates a length of roll film such as is used in ofcomplicated and expensive construction. On the ordinary hand camera. Theopposite ends the other hand, simpler types of support, preof this filmare shown as gripped by clamping viously devised, have failed to provideadequate devices C and C respectively, it being undertension and haveusually necessitated the disstood that these clamping devices areillusposal of the film in loops, whereas for most eftrative of anysuitable connecting element defective treatment of the film and to avoidinjury signed to grip or otherwise to engage the end during treatment itis desirable to hold the film portion of the film and to connect thefilm to extended in a single length. other parts of the supportingdevice.

The principal object of the present invention As illustrated in Fig. 1,the supporting device 25 is to provide a film support of simple andinexcomprises an elongate strut or spring member pensive type butcapable of holding a rolled film made in three independent sections 2, 3and 4, stretched to its full length without doubling or respectively,(although a greater number of secfolding and by gripping it at its endsonly, and tions may be provided) which, in use, are rigidly undersufficient tension to keep it substantially united in an end-to-endrelation but which may 30 fiat while undergoing the treatment to whichit be separated from each other for convenience in is to be subjected.Further objects are to provide storage or transportation. Each of theseseca film support so devised as to permit the tension tions 2, 3 and 4is of some suitable stiflly resilient, imposed upon the film to bevaried at will and transversely bendable material which tends,

735 by the smallest increments and by a very simwhen bent transversely,to resume its normally '35 ple and ready manipulation of the parts, aswell straight condition when the bending forces are as to provide forsupporting films which differ released. While other materials may beemgreatly in length. ployed and while the sections 2, 3 and 4 may bePrior film supports, designed to hold the film of a different transverseshape from that shown 40 fully extended in a single length, have beencumherein and may be tubular as Well as solid, it is v bersome andunhandy to ship or store, and a furpreferred to make these sections fromlengths ther object of the invention is to provide a film of resilientsteel wire. Thus, as shown in Fig. support capable, when assembled, ofholding the 5, the section 2 comprises a substantially straight filmfully extended in a single length but which length of wire, screwthreaded at 2 at its lower 5 may be decreased in effective length whennot in end for engagement with sleeve 5 and having use to facilitatestorage or transportation. an integral loop portion 1 at the other endof Other objects and advantages of the invention its straight portion,such loop 1 being designed will be made manifest in the following morefor engagement by a hook H or other fixed supdetailed description and byreference to the acport by means of which the entire device may be 50companying drawing in which suspended in use. Integral with the loopportion 50 Fig. 1 is a perspective view, to small scale, I is alaterally extending bracket 8 terminating showing a preferred embodimentof the invention in a hook 9 which is designed to engage an openas itappears in use, with a film held in properly ing, loop, or the like inor carried by the upper tensioned condition by the support; filmconnecting element C. The section 3 of the Fig. 2 is a fragmentary viewshowing a film support (Fig. 6) is normally substantially straight fromend to end and is screw threaded at its opposite ends, as shown at 3 and3*, while the section 4 (Fig. 7) is normally straight from end to endand is screw threaded at its upper end 4 for engagement with the sleeve6. If desired, the sleeves 5 and 6 may each be screw threaded with aright and left pitch respectively, at their opposite ends, and the endsof the sections which engage these sleeves may be correspondinglythreaded, although the same pitch threading may be used throughout thelength of each sleeve if preferred.

A second bracket iii (Fig. 10) provided at one end with a hook portionii for engagement with the lower connecting member 0', is furnished atits other end with an elongated sleeve portion i2,

conveniently formed by coiling a portion of the material of the bracketit (this material preferably being s'tiif steel wire though it need notbe as heavy as that forming sections 2, 3 and 4) the sleeve member l2being of such internal diameter that it may slide with a fairly closefit upon the straight portion of either of the sections 2, 3 or d withwhich it may be engaged.

Assuming that a film l of substantial length is to be treated and thatthe strut or spring portion of the support comprises the three sections2, 3 and 4 properly united by the sleeves 5 and 5, the operator securesthe ends of the film to the attaching members C and C respectively, and,after attaching the connecting member C to the hook 9, slides the sleeve62 down along the section 5 of the strut to such a distance from thebracket 8 that it is not possible to attach the member 0' to the hook llexcept by transversely bending or bowing the strut member comprising theunited sections 2, 3 and 4, thus to bring the hook end of the bracket itnear enough to the hook 9 to permit the member C to be secured to thehook H. Such bending or bowing of the strut or spring member of thesupporting device places the film under substantial longitudinal tensiondue to the effort of the strut to resume its normal straight condition.At the same time, since the attachment of the connecting member C to thebracket H3 is spaced laterally a substantial distance from the axis ofthe section i of the support, the tensioning of the film tends to rockthe bracket about its sleeve-d end and thus causes the sleeve to bind orcramp on the section t so that it can not slide along the latter. Thusthe bracket it is held securely in adjusted position so that it can notslip and release the tension. However, by intentional bowing of thesupport to a greater degree, the sleeve 52, may, if desired, be movedfurther downwardly along the section 1, and when the parts are thenreleased the sleeve will again grip the section t and will hold thestrut in this more deeply bowed condition thereby imposing a greatertension on the film. It is thus evident that the tension imposed on thefilm may be varied very readily and by any desired increment but withoutrequiring the use of pawl and ratchet mechanism, set screws, or otheradjunctive devices such as have commonly been employed for holding theparts of a film supporting and stretching device in adjusted position.When. it is de sired to release the film from the support it is merelynecessary for the operator to exert pressure to bow the support a littlemore deeply, whereupon the connections 0 and C may readily bedisconnected from the hooks Q and l I, the strut thereupon resuming itsnormal straight condition.

If it be desired to use the support with films of a substantiallyshorter length such that the proper tension can not be attained bysliding the bracket [0 to the upper end of the section 4 of the strut,this section 4 and sleeve 6 may be removed, leaving the support as shownin Fig. 2, the bracket Ill then being mounted on the section 3,whereupon the parts may be used in the same way as above described forholding a film under tension. Likewise if a still shorter film to betreated the section 3 with the sleeve 5 may be removed and the bracketit! may then be mounted directly on the section 2.

Normally, when the film is not in place, the bracket arms 8 and IE aresubstantially parallel and are disposed in substantially the same plane,but when the film is properly in place and under tension the bracketarms 8 and it! converge toward their hooked extremities and the forceexerted by the spring strut tends to swing these arms back into parallelrelation thereby imposing the desired tension on the film.

With the parts shown as illustrated in Fig, l, the supporting device maybe suspended from the hook H, for example for rying the film afterwashing, but on the other hand, if desired, the strut or spring portionof the support comprising the sections 2, 3 and 4 (or a lesser number ofsections, if fewer be used) may be employed as a handle whereby thedevice with the tensioned film may be manipulated, for example formersing the film in a deveioping or in a tank of wash water.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention is herein disclosed by wayof example it is to be understood that the invention is regarded asinclusive of all equivalent constructions materials such as fall withinthe terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A film-supporting device comprising an elongate resilient strutprovided wth. longitudinally spaced elements for connection to therespective ends of the film, said elements, when. the device is not inuse, being spaced apart a distance greater than the length of theselected film which it is desired to support so that in securing theends of the film to the respective elements the strut must first be bentso as to cause said elements to approach, whereby the tendency of thebent resilient strut to straighten imposes longitudinal tension upon thefilm whose ends are secured to said elements,

2. A film-supporting device comprising an elongate stifily resilienttransversely bendable member having a bracket projecting laterally fromone end, a second bracket spaced from the first, said second bracketcomprising a guide sleeve normally slidable with a snug sliding fitlongitudinally of the spring member, the brackets comprising partsdesigned to hold a tcnsioncd film extended between them, the springmember, in use, being transversely bowed thereby to hold the film undertension, the guide sleeve of the adjustable bracket being of such lengththat when the spring member is bent, the sleeve is cramped, and therebyheld in adjusted position in opposition to the tension of the film.

3. A film-supporting device designed to hold a film extended at fulllength and comprising an elongate strut and spaced brackets carried thestrut, the brackets having provision for attachment of the oppositeends, respectively, of the film thereto, said strut comprising aplurality of independent elongate parts and connecting means operativerigidly, but sparably to unite said parts in endto-end relation.

4. A film-supporting device designed to hold a film extended at fulllength and under tension, said device comprising an elongate struthaving a bracket projecting laterally therefrom, the strut comprising aplurality of independent sections, and means rigidly but separablyuniting said sec tions, and a second bracket comprising a guide membercooperable at will with any selected section of the strut to hold thelast-named bracket in adjusted position on the strut, the bracketshaving provision for attaching to them the opposite ends respectively ofthe film.

5. A film-supporting device of variable length designed to accommodatefilms of a wide range of lengths and to hold a film extended to fulllength, said device comprising an elongate strut including a pluralityof independent elongate sections disposed in end-to-end relation, and apair of spaced laterally extended brackets carried by the strut, eachbracket having an element designed to be connected to one endrespectively of a film, and means operative rigidly but separably tounit the several sections forming the strut.

6. A film-supporting device of variable length designed to accommodatefilms of a wide range of lengths and to hold a film extended at fulllength and under tension, the strut comprising a plurality ofindependent elongate sections disposed in end-to-end relation and eachtransversely bendable, a bracket fixed to the strut adjacent to one endof the latter, a second bracket comprising a guide portion engageable atwill with any of the sections of the strut, each bracket being providedwith means for connecting one end respectively of a film thereto so thatthe film will be longitudinally extended between the brackets, and meansnormally holding the several sections rigidly in end-to-end relation,the brackets being so spaced that when the ends of the film areconnected to the brackets the strut is held in transversely bowedcondition.

7. A film-supporting device comprising a strut consisting of a length ofstiffly resilient transversely bendable wire having an integral offsetportion adjacent to one end constituting a bracket for attachment to oneend of a film, a second bracket comprising a tubular guide portionnormally slidable along the wire, the second bracket being designed forattachment to the other end of the film, the brackets being so spacedapart when the device is in use the strut is held in transversely bowedcondition by reason of the resistance of the film to elongation.

8. A film-supporting device comprising a strut consisting of a length ofstifliy resilient transversely bendable wire having an integral offsetportion adjacent to one end constituting a bracket for attachment to oneend of a film, a second bracket comprising a tubular guide portionnormally slidabl along the wire, the second bracket being designed forattachment to the other end of the film, the brackets being so spacedapart when the device is in use that the strut is held in transverselybowed condition by reason of the resistance of the film to elongation,the tubular guide portion of the second bracket being so designed as tocramp when the strut is bent, thereby preventing slippage of the secondbracket longitudinally of the strut.

9. A film-supporting device comprising a strut consisting of a normallystraight length of stifily resilient wire having an integral lateralofiset adjacent to one end of a film, a second bracket spaced from thefirst adjustable longitudinally of the normally straight part of thewire, said secnd bracket having provision for attaching the other end ofthe film thereto, and means whereby the second bracket may be held inadjusted position, said normally straight portion of the wire beinglaterally bowed when the device is in use and by its tendency tostraighten imposing tension on the film.

10. A film-supporting device including an elongate strut comprising anormally straight length of stiiily resilient wire having a lateraloffset constituting a bracket to which one end of the film may beattached, a second bracket to which the other end of the film may beattached, said second bracket comprising means for attaching it to thenormally straight portion of the Wire, the brackets being so spaced thatsaid normally straight portion of the wire is bowed when the device isin use and by its tendency to straighten imposes tension on the film.

ll. A film-supporting device including an elongate strut comprising anormally straight length of stiffly resilient wire having a loop portionto facilitate suspension of the device from a fixed position, the devicealso comprising a pair of laterally offset bracket members, each havingmeans adjacent to its outer end for attaching one end of the filmthereto, one of said brackets, at least, comprising means for soattaching it to the strut so as to be adjustable lon itudinally thereof,the brackets being so spaced that the straight portion of the wire isbowed when the device is in use and by its tendency to straightenimposes tension on the film.

12. A film-supporting and tensioning device including an elongate strutcomprising a plurality of normally straight sections of stiff resilientwire disposed in end-to-end relation, adjacent ends of said sectionsbeing screw threaded, and a screwthreaded sleeve member normally unitingthe adjacent ends of said sections, one of said sections having alaterally projecting bracket to which one end of the film may beattached, said second bracket comprising means whereby it is attached toanother section of the strut, the brackets being so spaced that when thedevice is in use the strut is bowed transversely and by its tendency tostraighten imposes tension upon the film,

13. A film-supporting device comprising a pair of film-gripping clamps,a pair of bracket arms disposed in substantially the same plane and eachhaving means adjacent to one end far attachment to one of the respectiveclamps, and an elongate strut connecting the opposite ends of therespective brackets, the strut being transversely bendable so that theclamps may be caused to approach by bowing the strut and whereby, whenso bowed, the effort of the strut to straighten tends to move the clampsapart.

CHARLES S. BASSIN.

